asbestos dust is a toxic material that may lead to hazardous health problems such as mesothelioma. In the majority of cases, industrial workers are unknowingly exposed while at work, often times for an extended period. Thankfully, many industrialized countries have enacted a ban on asbestos, although the United States has chosen to regulate the toxic material despite many efforts to completely ban asbestos.
“Retrospective exposure assessment to airborne asbestos among power industry workers,” a recent study, analyzed the extended asbestos exposure of German power plant workers. asbestos was commonly used in the insulation of power plants to protect sensitive equipment and wires from the intense heat associated with power generation.
The study tracked 8,632 former or still active power plant employees that were exposed due to the breakdown of asbestos in the insulation of power turbines or during the spraying of asbestos pulp while working.
The results showed that 94 percent of power workers were exposed to asbestos during their employment, most often during the revisions or repair of power turbines. Many of the workers were exposed for on average for 20 to 21 years.
The most striking result from the tests showed that 82 percent of the power workers did not have any safety precautions established at their workplaces. The recommended protective measure was a wet sponge or cloth to the mouth and nose to prevent asbestos fiber inhalation or ingestion. This method is not effective at fully preventing exposure, presenting health risks as scientific studies have directly linked the cause of malignant mesothelioma to the exposure of asbestos fibers.
Samples of dust taken by the corporations these employees worked at showed that 96 percent of them contained chrysotile fibers, a deadly form of asbestos. Conditions like these made the air in power plants potentially fatal to humans.
The researchers from the study concluded that power-generating workers were a high-risk group to develop mesothelioma due to their exposure to asbestos. Their workplaces were poorly ventilated and did not provide any personal or technical protective measures. Hazardous conditions like these where asbestos is found in the air can lead to a heightened risk of developing a lung disease such as mesothelioma.
Additional information about mesothelioma and asbestos exposure in the power industry can be found through the mesothelioma Center.